Depth charge projector



July 10,1945. c. P. CAULKINS" 2,380,023

DEPTH CHARGE PROJECTOR Filed NOV. 26, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYSDEPTH CHARGE PROJECTOR Filed Nov. 26, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVFLNTOIR/[l rd]? Cazzliz'iai ATTORNEYS Patented July 10, 1945 UNITED S A ES raramOFFICE- 2,380,023 DEPTH CHARGE. PROJECTOR Cecil P. Caulkins, New London,Conn. I Application November 26, 1941, Serial No. 420,471

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in depth charge projectors, andits object is to provide an arrangement by means of which conventionaldepth charges or bombs may be projected from existing type of gunswithout the loss of the arbors to which heretofore the depth chargecontainers have been rigidly afiixed. More specifically, my inventionrelates to the provision of means for checking or snubbing the motion ofa propelled arbor and arresting it in position for further use.

I will describe the invention in the following specification and willpoint out its novel features in appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, v

Fig. 1 is an end elevation partly in section of an arrangement whichembodies -my invention applied to a Y-gun of standard construction;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the arrangement shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation and Fig. 4 a side elevation of anotherarrangement which also embodies this invention.

it] designates the casing of a Y gun which forms its explosion chamber.This casing is mounted. on a pedestal. l2. I2 designate two barrelswhich are welded to the casing at l3. The projectile, as in formerpractice, comprises a hollow cylindrical shell or arbor 2!) closed atits inner end, as at 2!, and having a head at its outer end on which issupported a container for the charge or bomb. According to formerpractice, the container casing or bomb 22 is permanently aflixed to thearbor and when gas is injected into the explosion chamber under highpressure, as by the firing of a cartridge, an arbor and a chargecontainer are shot out of each barrel.

According to the present-invention the head which supports the chargecontainer 22 is constructed as a frame 23, the inner end of which iscurved to fit the lower half of the container and (c1. so -1) withstraight sides 24, 24 and its other end constructed to clear thecontainer. One end of the head is closed by a plate 25. 26, 23 designateflanges which extend from the head near the sides thereof. When acontainer is placed in the head it rests on the frame 23 with one of itsends abutting the plate 25. Then a bar 21 is put across its other end tohold it in place.

30 designates a snubber on the closed end 2| of the arbor. As shown,this snubber comprises an eye-bolt 3| and a plurality of compressiblecollars 32 of suitable material, such as soft rubber. 33 is a chaininterconnecting the eye-bolt 3| with another eye-bolt 34 in the base ofthe.

casing in. I v

40 is a stationary frame comprising a .pairof arms 4i, 4| havingsurfaces 42 which are parallel with but spaced from the axis of one ofthe gun barrels l2. The inner edges 43, 43 of these arms are parallelwith each other and the flanges 26 of the arbor head slide over them. 1

When the gun is fired, the arbor and its head a with the chargecontainer will be expelled to the positions in which they are shown inbroken lines at 20A, 22A and 23A in Fig. 1. There the movement of thearbor will be arrested by the chain 33 which will then be straightenedout into the. position designated by the broken-line 33A. The chargecontainer, however, is free to. continue. the movement imparted to it bythe gun and. it will be catapulted out of the frame 23. The arbor willthen drop back on the frame 4. until the eye-bolt 3l rests upon a bumper44 on the frame where the arbor is in a convenient position forre-loading.

In the arrangement illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, 50 is a recoil andchecking cylinder, one end of which is supported on a base 5| near thegun pedestal H by a pivotal connection 52. Within the cylinder 50 is apiston 53 which is connected by a rod 54 to an arm 55 which extendslaterally from the frame 23 of the arbor head. These parts are soproportioned and arranged as to position the rod 54 in substantialparallelism with the axis of the gun barrel. The cylinder 50 is slottedthrough the greater part of its length, as shown at 56, so that thepiston 53 may move freely therein, but its outer end 51 is closed toform a dashpot.

When the gun with this arrangement is fired, the arbor and its head withthe charge container will be expelled to the positions in which they areshown in broken lines at 20A, 22A and 23A in Fig. 3, in the mannerdescribed previously. In this case the movement of the arbor.

and its container supporting frame will be retarded and then brought torest in a position v where they will be supported on the frame 40.

What I claim is:

l. A depth charge projector comprising an open muzzled gun barrel, a.support therefor, an arbor having a diameter corresponding to thecaliber of the gun barrel adapted to be inserted in the gun barrel, saidarbor having an enlarged head on its outer end arranged to receive andsupport a depth charge, guides for said head outside of and parallelwith the gun barrel combined with means for arresting the movement ofthe arbor connected with the head and with the support for the gunbarrel.

2. A depth charge projector comprising an open muzzled gun barrel, asupport therefor, an arbor having a diameter corresponding to thecaliber of the gun barrel adapted to be inserted in the gun barrel, saidarbor having an enlarged head on its outer end arranged to receive andsupport a depth charge combined with external means for arresting themovement of the arbor, said means comprising a cylinder parallel withthe gun barrel, a piston in the cylinder, one end of said piston beingconnected to the support for the gun barrel, and means forinterconnecting the piston and the enlarged head on the arbor.

.3. A depth charge projector comprising an open muzzled gun barrel, asupport therefor, an arbor having a diameter corresponding to thecaliber of the gun barrel adapted to be inserted in the gun barrel, saidarbor having an enlarged head on its outer end arranged to receive andsupport a depth charge combined with external means for arrestingthemovement of the arbor. said means comprising a cylinder parallel withthe gun barrel, a piston in the cylinder, said cylinder beingconstructed with an opening through its wall throughout the greater partof its length and being closed at its outer end, the inner end of saidpiston being connected to the support for the gun barrel, and a pistonrod affixed to the piston extending through the closed end of thecylinder and aifixed to the enlarged head on the arbor.

4. A depth charge projector comprising an open muzzled gun barrel, asupport thereforhaving a diameter corresponding to the caliber of thegun barrel adapted to be inserted in the gun barrel, said arbor havingan enlarged head on its outer end arranged to receive and support adepth charge, guides for said head outside of and parallel with the gunbarrel combined with external means for arresting the arbor, said meanscomprising a cylinder parallel with the gun barrel, one end of saidpiston being connected with the support for the gun barrel, a pistonwithin said cylinder, and means for interconnecting thepiston and theenlarged head on the arbor.

5. A depth charge projector comprising an open muzzled gun barrel, asupport therefor, an arbor having a diameter corresponding to thecaliber of the gun barrel adapted to be inserted in the gun barrel, saidarbor having an enlarged head on its outer end arranged to receive andsupport a depth charge, guides for said head outside of and parallelwith the gun barrel combined with external means for arresting thearbor, said means comprising a cylinder parallel with the gun barrel,said cylinder being constructed with an opening through its wallthroughout the greater part of its length and being closed at its outerend, the inner end of said cylinder being connected to the support forthe gun barrel, a piston within the cylinder, and a piston rod afllxedto the piston extending through the closed end of the cylinder andaffixed to the enlarged head on the arbor,

CECIL P. CAULKINS.

